Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Her name is Penny, and I am ENTIRELY unbiased when I say that she's an incredibly sweet girl. After owning two gorgeous but naughty bengal kitties I never thought I'd head down the pet ownership road again. I was also torn because I had always really wanted a dog. I spent the better part of my childhood begging my parents for either A) Another kid B) One of those child-sized battery operated jeeps that were probably recalled a month later C) A puppy. The puppy seemed the most promising option, since it was the only one that didn't cause my parents to laugh hysterically in my face for an hour. I still managed to end up up dog-less. Now that I have a place of my own, revenge can finally be mine!

Except....in my little high rise it just doesn't seem right. Dogs need space. I've also come home late on one too many occasions to find a dog owner from my building plodding down to Grand Avenue so that Scruffers can find relief in some dark alcove around Lake Merritt. Hmmm.

Penny is quite content just listening to my washing machine and ambushing my book/keyboard when she wants attention. She does not persist when I close the door on her at night, and has excellent manners in general. The Oakland Animal Shelter has many such cutie pies of both the canine and the feline persuasion. Heck, they have some damn cute bunnies, too! The pets who weren't surrendered for behavioral reasons are generally well-socialized, since they're used to interacting with a variety of humans and other animals. Rescuing a pet feels great, and if you are so inclined (and reside in the Oakland area) I highly recommend that you pay them a visit.